Don't Carry It All
by mazberrypie
Summary: "And really, you don't mind a monster moving next door. You have enough on your plate with keeping the farm running and taking care of the kiddos that that sort of thing doesn't really bother you. But the King of all Monsters, settling into a recently vacated house in the countryside? That seems unusual." Sans/Reader farm au, I guess?
1. Asgore, King of Neat Flowers

**AN: Okay, so I've been writing this and posting it over on AO3, but I know some people don't like or are unused to that format, so I'm putting it here to! This is just a silly (and indulgent) Reader/Sans fic that was supposed to be fluffy but then I accidentally made it v plotty.**

 **Disclaimer: Thank you Toby Fox for creating the wonderful game that is Undertale and The Decemberists for writing the song Don't Carry It All. I don't own either.**

"Lunch time!" You call out the front door, waiting until you can hear the sound of feet crunching up the gravel driveway before heading back into the kitchen.

Taking your place back at the stove, you smile as your siblings burst into the dining room, bickering about something. They drop into their seats at the table, but one stern glance from you and they're heading to the sink to wash their hands. Both kids are pretty thoroughly covered in mud and you sigh at the trail of it coming in from the entry. Then again, the rest of the house is pretty muddy too, so it's just one more area you'll have to clean.

"Spoon or fork?" You ask, digging in the silverware drawer.

"Spoon!" Cries Jo.

"Fork, please." Requests Laurel.

You grab one of each and another spoon for yourself. Then, it's just a matter of balancing the pot of mac and cheese while simultaneously carrying over the plate of hot dogs and the bowl of carrots. Somehow, you manage to get it all on the table without it tipping over and soon both of your siblings are digging in. You take a moment to watch the two of them eat, their full mouths causing a rare quiet moment.

"So, what are we up to today?"

"Well," Jo gulps down a sip of water and wipes their face with the back of their hand. "y'know how I was telling you about our new neighbor?"

You recall watching the moving truck drive up the country road with your siblings, both Jo and Laurel speculating who could possibly be moving in next door. Giving them a nod, you wait as they chug down some more water then slam their cup on the table.

"I went over there today and it's a monster!" Jo exclaims excitedly, practically bouncing in their seat. "A really nice one too!"

Laurel is watching the exchange wide eyed, checking for your reaction.

"You didn't bother them, did you?" You frown, knowing that your siblings have a tendency of getting their little noses into other's business. Most people were thrown off by Jo's boundless energy and Laurel's quiet intensity. And the whole 'identical twin' thing.

"No, he said he wasn't bothered! He even gave me and Laur some tea and showed us his garden. He says that he's gonna grow flowers to sell in town, he brought some seeds from under the mountain that we don't have here."

"Huh, that's...pretty neat." You admit. "What did you say his name was?"

"Asgore!"

And you almost choke on your own water, coughing and punching at your chest. Because of course you know that name, you have seen the 'King of Monsters' on TV more times than you could count in the last year.

When the monsters emerged from Mt. Ebbot, life hadn't really changed too much. There weren't many in the area at first, most of them moving to cities or spreading out through the country. People had been...hesitant, wary of the new and strange people that were suddenly everywhere. Most had warmed up to the monsters pretty quickly, but there were still lingering pockets of monster-haters, as humans are extremely good at hating anything different from them.

And really, you don't mind a monster moving next door. You have enough on your plate with keeping the farm running and taking care of the kiddos that that sort of thing doesn't really bother you. But the King of all Monsters, settling into a recently vacated house in the countryside? That seemed unusual. Especially the fact that he was apparently starting up a _flower_ business. Why on Earth would he choose being a florist over a powerful ruler?

"So, are you going back over there after lunch?" You ask, once you've stopped choking.

"Yeah!" Jo nods eagerly.

"If that's alright." Laurel adds, nudging Jo pointedly.

"Well, you still have to clean out the coup." But you pause because of their downtrodden expressions, thinking a moment. "Why don't we all pop over there and I can introduce myself?"

"Really?" Laurel asks, surprising you with their excited smile.

"Sure. We can ask Danny if he wants to come, too." You tell them, referring to your second in command around the farm.

Jo beams at you, their smile stretching out their whole face. "Sweet! You'll like Asgore, he's really cool!"

"I'm sure he is, now finish up your lunches and we can go over." You start finishing yours as well and soon all three bowls are empty and in the dishwasher.

"Let's go, let's go!" Jo hops to the door, dragging Laurel along and you laugh helplessly at their abundant energy and Laurel's put upon frown.

"Hang on there cowboy, let me get my muck boots on."

Jo makes a face, twisting their nose up and sticking out their tongue. "Ah, gross! You can't wear your muck boots to go meet Asgore, he'll think you're stinky and weird."

"I am stinky and weird." You shoot back, pulling on the offending boots. "And it's been raining lately, so I wanna stay dry."

Jo lets loose a long suffering sigh and even Laurel shakes their head at you as they both pull on their regular old rain boots. Pushing out through the screen door, Jo launches themself off the porch and Laurel follows at a more subdued pace. You join them, hands shoved into the pockets of your sweatshirt as they make their way towards the barn.

"Danny's over here." Laurel tells you, their voice soft. "I think he was fixing up that hole on the roof."

And indeed, you can barely make out his form on the top of the barn, hammering something down onto the roof with a determined look about him.

"Danny!" Jo calls and he startles, dropping his hammer and turning to you all.

"Ah, hey Joey! You nearly shocked me out of my skin. Or off the roof." He chuckles, leaning over the edge to talk to you. "What's up Boss?"

You roll your eyes at his name for you, Danny had a thing for nicknames. "We're heading over to meet the new neighbor, want to join us?"

"I'd love to, but I got a very important hole to cover." He salutes with his hammer, almost braining himself and you wince. "I'll just pop over later."

"Alright, see you later!" You call, Jo and Laurel already heading up the driveway towards the road.

Fall was beginning to give way to winter, and the air was just this side of biting, the wind turning your siblings' cheeks a rosy shade of pink.

Though he is now your closest neighbor, Asgore's house is a ways down the road from your own. You make the trek up your own driveway, the mud squishing under your feet, and up to the the country road past your house. The twins are already a ways ahead, making their way through the grass by the side of the road. It occurs to you that you ought to be keeping a better eye on those two, you hadn't even known they'd gotten as far as Asgore's house. You couldn't really blame them for getting bored around the farm though, after living there most of their lives they've explored the whole of it.

"Hurry up!" Jo calls from a few yards in front of you, both they and Laurel standing in Asgore's driveway.

"Just give me a second!" You huff, picking up the pace to reach them.

The walk up Asgore's drive is significantly shorter than your own, considering his house isn't situated deep into the property like yours. In fact, it doesn't appear that he's got much property at all, just a yard out front and probably some in the back. You realize you've never been over here before, you didn't really get along with the previous owners so there was no reason to visit. You imagine that the yard is better cared for now, only a week into Asgore's stay and he's already begun working on the garden.

"Mr. Asgore!" Jo is calling, bypassing the front door to start walking into the backyard.

You follow hesitantly, unsure of just walking into someone else's yard, but Jo is already greeting someone and you have little choice.

"Ah, young Jo, Laurel! You have returned." A rumbling voice answers your sibling and you pause to take in the King.

He's, well, he's _giant_. Asgore has to be a good deal over six feet, maybe even _seven_ , and his long horns only add to the initial height. His features are goat like, with a snout and dark, kind eyes and this crazy beard. Maybe the only reason you aren't immediately terrified of him is the fact that he's on his knees in a flower bed, wearing a button up Hawaiian shirt and floral gardening gloves. And that he smiling at your younger sibling with such a look of patient fondness that you can't help but grin as well.

"And I see I brought someone." Asgore moves to stand, brushing dirt from his jeans and extending a hand to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Asgore Dreemur."

You shake and his hand completely engulfs yours, introducing yourself as well. "I'm the kids' older sibling, and your next door neighbor."

"Ah, you did seem a bit young to be their parent." Asgore admits. "Though I can see the family resemblance."

Jo grins and Laurel ducks, embarrassedly as you reach out to ruffle both of their hair. It's the same color as your own, and you know that you all have a similar face, though twins are still a bit pudgy with baby fat.

"Have you been settling in alright? The countryside treating you okay?" You ask, trying to mask your genuine curiosity with neighborly pleasantries.

"Oh very!" Asgore seems to light up. "There's so much room to garden and the air is so fresh. I prefer it to the city, honestly."

"Jo was telling me that you're going to be selling your flowers?" You motion to where he had been working.

Asgore nods, smiling gently. "Yes, I always wanted to be a gardener, but..."

He seems sad and you realize that the 'King of Monsters' is very different than you expected. Asgore is just a regular guy, albeit a tall one, who has hopes and, dare you think it, _dreams_ of his own. You feel a bit sorry for him suddenly and sorry for doubting his intentions in moving to your little corner of the world.

"Well, you can be one now." You tell him and that seems to cheer him right back up.

"I haven't opened up my business yet, but would you like to take some flowers home with you?"

And you immediately feel guilty because weren't you supposed to the one with welcome gifts? You nod all the same and Asgore _beams_ , hurrying inside the backdoor with the assurance that he'll be back in just a moment.

"I like him." You admit to Jo who smirks smugly, even Laurel giving a little triumphant grin. "As long as he's alright with you both coming over, I don't have a problem with you visiting. But be helpful, you hear?"

"Of course." Jo smiles and Laurel nods seriously.

Asgore's back outside a moment later, carrying a large blue flower in a pot filled with soil.

"This is an echo flower, it repeats the last thing said near it." Asgore explains and passes it over.

You lean your ear towards it and listen as it whispers in a faint, wispy version of Asgore's voice.

" _This is an echo flower, it repeats the last thing said near it."_

"That's incredible!" You exclaim and the flower says it back to you, making you laugh lightly.

"I am glad you like it, I am sure I will have more flowers to share very soon." And the happy look Asgore gives his garden is almost heartbreakingly tender, because this is probably the first time he's gotten to live how he wants to.

"Don't give them all away." You tease. "I'm sure business will be booming soon. Or maybe, blooming?"

Asgore chuckles at your joke, shaking his head as Jo groans loudly and Laurel claps a hand to their face.

"Are you serious?" Jo asks, crossing their arms while Laurel just looks severely disappointed.

You give your siblings a sly wink, then sigh down at your watch when you check the time. "I would love to stay and talk some more, but I've got some things to take care of on the farm..."

"Oh that's perfectly alright, you'll have to come over for tea sometime and we can chat more then."

"That would be great." You tell him and turn to the twins. "You still need to do your chores too, kiddos."

Jo sighs, their shoulders slumping pitifully as Laurel gives them a consoling pat.

"Don't worry, you and your siblings are welcome here any time." Asgore assures them and Jo smiles up at him.

Asgore walks the three of you out to the front of his house and waves as you begin the trip back down the road. Jo is practically skipping with joy and Laurel grins at their twins antics, though they appear to be high spirits as well. You smile, you've been doing that a lot today, it seems, and wave them towards the chicken coup when you arrive back home. Danny's still up on the roof of the barn, though he gives you a big wave before going back to hammering.

Back inside, you sit down at your desk, shoving your reading glasses up your nose and sighing at the stack of bills and paperwork before you. You're not even halfway through it when you get distracted, thinking about your new neighbor and your younger sibling's fondness for him. Asgore seems nice enough and doesn't seem to mind your nosy siblings, much less than the previous tenants had, at least.

You can't help but wonder if the King's appearance means that more monsters will be arriving in the area soon. That could definitely make life around here more interesting.

 **AN: I'll be posting all eight chapters I've written periodically, I don't want to shove them all at you at once. Let me know what you think, comments and critics are always welcome!**


	2. Frisk, the Most Determined and Brave Kid

**AN: Sorry peeps, I forgot that I was going to be putting up chapters here. School got crazy busy in January and I'm finally in the second semester woo!**

You need to take a trip into town again, you've got some things to pick up at the feed store and hopefully the shop that buys your produce will be able to take some eggs off your hands. Generally, you make the drive by yourself and have Danny take care of the kids. But you've noticed that the twins have been antsy lately. Even with Asgore to entertain them, they're still looking for a way off the farm, so you decide to load everyone into the truck and take them with you.

There are kids running around the playground when you arrive in town, and you can see Jo squirming in their seat. Laurel seems significantly less interested in the other kids, but you know if you send Jo off, Laurel is sure to follow.

"Go ahead, I'll be a bit so go play."

That's all it takes to send Jo launching out of the car, dragging a sighing Laurel along with them. You watch a moment, Jo already pulling some other kids into a game of tag, before going about your business.

You stop by the feed store first, picking up some grit for the chickens and a few extra bales of hay. Harry, the manager, has a few new employees that he appears to be training, one of them a cat monster, and he has them carry the hay to the bed of your truck. You're sure to thank them all equally, causing the monster to give you a wide, appreciative smile in return. It's a bit sad to think that they aren't used to this kind of treatment.

Next is the shop and luckily the owner is feeling generous today, because she buys all the eggs off you and the hole left in your pocket from the feed store feels a little smaller. You still have to buy some non chicken or goat related groceries, however, and leave the shop with more than you probably need. But whatever, the twins are growing kids and you deserve some treats for working hard.

You're loading things into your truck when you hear the laughter, and it sends your teeth on edge. It's not the happy laugh of kids playing, but rather the cruel cackle that always seems to come with someone being bullied.

There's a circle of teens near the park, and it doesn't look like they've got Jo or Laurel, but they're definitely picking on _somebody_. You hesitate, just a moment, but when you hear an angry voice yelling from inside the circle, you begin moving before you can process it.

They've surrounded two kids, a monster and a human. The monster is fairly reptilian and doesn't seem to have arms, though their tail is swishing in a way that reminds you of the barn cats when they're fighting. The human is stand by them, brows furrowed as they stare at the teens.

"Why don't you cry for help, freak?" One of the teens taunts and the kid jerkily signs something at them which sort of explains the insult.

You straighten your shoulders and try to appear as tall and menacing as you can before you call out. "What exactly is going on here?"

The teens seem surprised by your intervention, which speaks volumes as to how they've been allowed to act up to this point. Which is probably pretty awfully. Both the human child and the monster kid are watching you, two parts wary and one part hopeful. It looks like the human has a split lip and scraped up arms, and the monster has a eye that looks well on it's way to brusing. You turn to the teens again, feeling angrier.

You recognize one of them and decided to use that to your advantage. "Brendan Smith, why don't you and your little gang run along before I decide to have a word with your parents about all this?"

Brendan's eyes widen and he seems to curl in on himself a little bit.

"Let's get out of here." He tugs on the nearest two teens' arms before they're all scurrying off.

You watch them go, making sure they're actually gone before turning to the kids.

"Hey, are you two alright?"

The human nods, touching a hand to their chin and pulling it away. You silently thank the twins for watching Blue's Clues as they grew up because you recognize the gesture.

"You're welcome, but I shouldn't have had to help in the first place. Those teens know better than to pick on other kids." You frown after the teens, then glance back to them. "I've got a first aid kit in my car, do you want me to help out with some of those cuts?"

The human looks back the monster kid questioningly.

"Y-yo, that would be alright..." The monster kids tells you and you give them an encouraging smile.

"Alright, gimme just one sec."

You turn towards the playground, making out your siblings in the distance. "Jo, Laurel! Come here for a minute!"

The twins run up towards up, Jo looking put out until the exact moment they catch sight of the kids next to you and their expression completely changes.

"Whoa! Where you guys in a fight?" Jo practically jumps the poor kids. "That's sick! Who won?"

"We did bro!" The monster kid pipes up, seemingly more relaxed around other children. "They totally ran away!"

"Dude!"

"Right?!"

The two start talking at a mile a minute and you shake your head with a laugh, guiding all four towards your truck. Laurel has grabbed onto your arm and is staring at the human child, eyes narrowed like they're trying to solve a great mystery. You recognize their Thinking Face and let them puzzle it out for themself. It's not until you're reaching into the glove compartment for the first aid kit that they seem to realize.

"Oh. You're Frisk." Laurel says, and it's not a question but rather an observation.

The kid, _Frisk_ , nods and you blink at them. Cause yeah, you know them too. They'd been on TV as much as Asgore, if not more, as the ambassador for all monsters. It's like you can't walk two steps in this area without running into some sort of monster celebrity. Which was strange, considering you leave near a fairly small town. For all these political figures to gravitate here of all places was odd.

"Uh." You say, still staring, before you remember that you're supposed to be tending to these kids wounds and pull open the first aid kit. "Frisk, can you take a seat on the bed of the truck?"

Once you've pulled down the hatch, you situate both kids on it and set to work. Laurel helps, passing you iodine and gauze. Jo helps too, in their own way, keeping both kids distracted as you clean the worst of the cuts. Frisk winces when you put some ointment on their lip, but other than that doesn't react much. You even manage to get a little bit of coconut oil around the monster kid's eye, it works for chickens so you figure it probably can't hurt to try it out.

Soon everyone's all bandaged up and the kids have gone back to talking while you put away your supplies.

"So, I'm not sure how I feel about you two walking home alone after all that..." You admit to Frisk, who's been watching you closely the whole time. "Would you like me to give you a ride?"

Frisk studies you a moment more, their eyes searching your expression before they give you a small, sweet smile and a nod.

"Okay, uh great!" You're a bit thrown by their change in demeanor. "Jo and...I don't think I ever got your name, actually."

"It's Monster Kid, but you can call me Kid! Or MK, or whatever!" They tell you and you laugh lightly.

"Alright, Kid then. I'm going to give you and Frisk a ride home, just to make sure you get there safe. Is that okay with you?"

"Yo, that's cool! It means I get to hang out with Jo more!" They smile at your sibling who beams back widely.

"Well alright then, everybody hop in."

You get Frisk, Jo and Kid into the backseat, Laurel electing to sit up front with you. Kid gives you directions through town to their house, which is near Frisk's, as it turns out. Kid's parents thank you profusely when you walk them up to the door, and you shake it off, telling them it was just the right thing to do. They offer to have Jo and Laurel over sometime at Kid's instance, so you exchange numbers and wave as they take their kiddo inside.

Next up is Frisk's house, and all three of you walk them up to the door this time. You give it a knock, waiting for just a moment before the door opens to reveal...another goat monster?

This one, you notice, is a lot prettier than Asgore. Not that Asgore isn't attractive, in his goat monster-y dad sort of way, but the woman at the door is elegant in a way Asgore is not. Her pretty blue blouse and flowery skirt makes you feel a bit inferior wearing a ratty pair of jeans and a coat that's lived through more than a few winters. She looks between you and the twins, appearing confused for a moment before her eyes fall on Frisk and she gasps in shock.

"Oh Frisk, my child what has happened?" She gathers them into a hug and you decide that anyone who can hug like that is probably a pretty amazing person.

When she releases Frisk, you stick out a hand to shake and introduce yourself. "Hi. I ran into some teens harassing Frisk and Kid and intervened. They were a little beat up so I cleaned up their cuts, but none of them seemed too bad."

"Thank you so much." She takes you hand in both of hers, looking a little teary eyed and you feel your face get hot. "I'm Toriel, Frisk's mother. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

"It's no problem really." You shake you head to clear it and smile. "I'm just glad I got there before anything too awful happened."

"Yes, I am as well." Toriel looks down at Frisk, who is still hugging her side and ruffles their hair. "What do you say, dear?"

Frisk signs another 'thank you'.

"You're welcome kiddo, be careful alright?"

They nod and then tug on Toriel's skirt, signing something too fast for you to understand.

"Ah. Frisk would like to know if you and your siblings would like to come over for dinner sometime? As a thank you, for helping." Toriel gives her child a fond smile. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Frisk."

"Oh." You blink, surprised. "Well-"

"Yes! We would!" Jo interrupts, jumping in front of you.

"We'd like that very much, Miss Toriel." Laurel adds, nudging your arm lightly.

Toriel's expression softens as she takes in the two of them. "What are your names, young ones?"

"This is Laurel!" Jo points to their twin.

"And Jo." Laurel points back, rolling their eyes slightly.

"Well, Laurel, Jo, it is nice to meet both of you. Frisk and I would love to have you over for dinner anytime, as long as your sibling is alright with it."

Both Laurel and Jo turn to you with expectant looks and you sigh good naturedly. "I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem."

"Let us exchange numbers then! So we can arrange it."

You get your second number of the day and Toriel promises to call soon to set up a night for dinner at their place. Both Frisk and Toriel wave you off as you get back into the truck and begin the drive home.

Jo and Laurel are leaning on each other in the backseat, looking tired from the unexpectedly eventful day. Jo seems to have actually fallen asleep but Laurel remains vigilant, staring out the window absently.

"How are you holding up, Laurel?" You watch them in the review.

"Alright." They shrug with the shoulder not holding up Jo. "I just was wondering..."

Laurel pauses and you let them gather their thoughts a moment.

"Wondering?" You prompt when they don't say anything for a few minutes.

"Kid and Frisk were really nice and I just don't know why anyone would want to hurt them." Laurel admits, looking rather torn up about it.

Sucking in a breath through your teeth, you look back towards the road. "A lot of people are afraid of things they don't understand. Like Kid being a monster or Frisk using sign language to speak."

"By then why did they hurt them? Why not run away if they were scared?" Laurel sounds almost angry now.

"Not everyone runs away when they're afraid. They think that they have to 'face their fear' and for most people, that means fighting it."

"Frisk was scared and they didn't fight." Laurel huffs. "They told me."

You blink, trying to think of a moment when the two could have talked. Or how, you are pretty sure Laurel doesn't know any sign. "Uh-?"

"While you were treating Kid's eye, Frisk told me that they were scared when the teens came for them, but they didn't want to leave Kid and they didn't want to hurt anyone. So they just refused to fight and refused to leave."

You whistle lightly. "Well, not everyone is as brave as Frisk, though I think we could all stand to be."

"Hmm." Laurel hums and then is silent.

You glance in the mirror to see that they've nodded off too, head propped up on Jo's. Letting loose a little sigh, your shoulders slump and you shake your head. That had gotten...unexpectedly heavy. Though, Laurel had always had a fairly inquisitive nature, but also had the innocence to not really understand others' behavior very well. It seemed like they and Frisk were getting along, that might help them come out of their shell a bit.

But damn, Frisk. That kid was really something else. They way they had watched you had been almost calculating, but as soon as they decided they liked you, they were amiable, sweet even. And the whole 'not fighting but not running either' thing. That took guts, determination. Not that you expected any less from the monster's ambassador. They would have to be pretty brave to deal with the press and politicians and the like.

You shook your head lightly, laughing slightly. Kids these days, they were something else.


End file.
